A small public booth that contains a telephone for general use. Today, they have become rare in many countries.
example
Früher stand an fast jeder Straßenecke eine gelbe Telefonzelle.
In the past, there was a yellow phone booth on almost every street corner.
Usage tips
Compound word
This word is made up of 'Telefon' (telephone) and 'Zelle' (cell/booth). A 'Zelle' is a small, enclosed space. So a Telefonzelle is literally a small booth in which there is a telephone.
EXAMPLE
In alten Filmen sieht man oft, wie Detektive eine Telefonzelle benutzen.
In old films, you often see detectives using a phone booth.
Movement and location
Pay attention to the preposition 'in' with the correct case. When someone moves into a phone booth, the accusative is used. When someone is already inside it, the dative is used.
EXAMPLE
Er ging schnell in die Telefonzelle, um vor dem Regen geschützt zu sein.
He quickly went into the phone booth to be protected from the rain.
Cultural context
Phone booths have almost completely disappeared from public spaces today because of mobile phones. The word therefore describes an object that is mainly historical.
EXAMPLE
Manche alten Telefonzellen werden heute zu kleinen Büchereien umgebaut.
Some old phone booths are now being converted into small libraries.